Phases of the Moon
by Akari Miniwara .Starflight
Summary: After Hawkflight's tragic death, moons have passed, and his offspring have been born.  A deadly killer still lurks within ThunderClan territory, and the kits destinies cross with hers, and she must be stopped, before the rampant hits all of the clans.
1. Allegiances

**Okay, it's up! On August 8th, as I promised! These are the allegiances, so keep in mind that everything is taking place around seven moons after Running With The Wind.**

**Allegiances**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader-**Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy**-Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches and a scarred face

**Medicine Cat-**Molewhisker-light gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Apprentice-Chicorypelt

**Warriors-**Rainwhisker-dark gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice-Bravepaw

Harpsong-silver and white-patched she-cat with unusual blue eyes

Lightningstrike-jet black tom with golden streaks and green eyes

Skyblaze**-**bluish gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes and white paws

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice-Sunpaw

Hazeldawn-small gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Mouseclaw-regular sized gray and white tom with blue eyes

Iceshard-pure white she-cat with gray eyes, large ears, and a long tail

Apprentice-Faithpaw

Flickernight-bright ginger tabby tom with brown eyes and a black tail tip

Saffronwhisker-cream and golden she-cat with blue eyes

Addertail-dark cream tom with golden paws and a tabby striped tail

Dawncloud-light gray tabby she-cat

Pyrelight-light brown tom with bright ambers

**Apprentices-**Chicorypelt-light honey brown tabby she-cat

Sunpaw-cream and golden-patched she-cat

Faithpaw-light brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes

Bravepaw-bright ginger tom with a white underbelly and black paws

**Queens-**Daisy-cream-colored, long-furred cat from the horseplace

Honeydapple-light honey brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Brambleclaw's kits, Beekit (honey brown tom with thick black stripes) and Hollowkit (dark brown tabby she-cat)

**Elders-**Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat

Ferncloud-pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom  
Ashfur-pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

* * *

**WindClan**

**Leader-**Ashstar-light gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy-**Sunbeam-tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

Apprentice-Thistlepaw

**Medicine Cat-**Kestrelflight-brownish gray tom with white splotches

Apprentice-Emberstorm

**Warriors-**Harespring-swift, brown and white tom with light green eyes

Leaffrost-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Dewspots-spotted gray tabby she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray and white she-cat

Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, formerly of ThunderClan

Antear-brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot-gray tom with two darker paws

Heatherbreeze-light brown tabby she-cat with stunning blue heather eyes

Breezeflight-jet-black tom with amber eyes

Lionleap-wiry brown tabby she-cat with heather blue eyes

Apprentice-Sedgepaw

Smokestorm-jet black tom with light blue eyes

Tigerstripe-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a white underbelly

Tawnyspots-ginger, brown, and black she-cat with a white tipped tail

**Apprentices-**Emberstorm-bright ginger tabby she-cat with a few darker flecks

Thistlepaw-golden brown tabby she-cat

Sedgepaw-light brown tabby tom

**Queens-**Willowleaf-gray she-cat with green eyes, mother of Antear's kits, Cloverkit (light gray tabby she-cat) and Blackkit (dark brown tom with black ears and paws)

Cindershadow-light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Hawkflight's kits, Fallingkit (bright tortoiseshell tom with a bushy red tail), Crescentkit (medium gray tom with thick white stripes), Nightkit (very dark brown tabby she-cat with black legs), and Crestkit (golden brown tabby she-cat with white paws and tail tip)

**Elders-**Crowfeather-dark gray tabby tom with dark blue eyes

Whitetail-small white she-cat with green eyes

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Nightcloud-jet-black she-cat with green eyes

* * *

**ShadowClan**

**Leader-**Russetstar-dark ginger tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

**Deputy-**Rowanclaw-pale ginger tabby tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat-**Littlecloud-very small brown tabby tom with light blue eyes

Apprentice-Westpaw

**Warriors-**Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice-Rainpaw

Lizardstripe-pale brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice-Tigerpaw

Toadfoot-dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Crowfrost-black and white tom with blue eyes

Kinkfur- brown tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles and green eyes

Apprentice-Dawnpaw

Ratclaw-dark brown tom with a long scar running down his back

Snakefang-dark brown tom with a tabby striped tail

Whitewater-white she-cat with long fur and is blind in one of her blue eyes

Owlflight-light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice-Flamepaw

Shrewfoot-light gray she-cat with black paws

Scorchblaze-dark gray tabby tom with a torn ear

Eveningsun-dark gray tom with amber eyes

Flaredawn-brownish ginger tabby she-cat

Marshflight-very pale brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentices-**Tigerpaw-dark brown tabby tom

Flamepaw-bright ginger tom

Dawnpaw-cream furred she-cat

Westpaw-jet black she-cat with holly green eyes

Rainpaw-pale gray she-cat with white stripes

**Queens-**Redlion-reddish brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Snakefang's kits, Sunkit (reddish brown she-cat with bright amber eyes) and Mothkit (dark brown she-cat with white and black stripes)

**Elders-**Oakfur-small brown tom with amber eyes

Smokefoot-dark gray tom with dark green eyes

Ivytail-black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

* * *

**RiverClan**

**Leader-**Mistystar-bluish gray she-cat with misty blue eyes

**Deputy-**Reedwhisker-jet black tom with greenish amber eyes

**Medicine Cat-**Willowbreeze-small, dark gray tabby she-cat with big blue eyes

Apprentice-Petalpaw

**Warriors-**Dawnflower-pale gray she-cat with dark blue eyes

Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat

Graymist-pale gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice-Beetlepaw

Pouncetail-ginger and white tom

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with light green eyes

Apprentice-Streampaw

Pinefur-very shorthaired brown tabby she-cat

Rainstorm-mottled blue-gray tom with blue eyes

Apprentice-Mallowpaw

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Minnowsplash-dark gray and white she-cat with fluffy fur and sharp amber eyes

Apprentice-Grasspaw

Pebbleflight-mottled gray tom with light blue eyes

Nettlestrike-dark brown tabby tom with white paws

Apprentice-Pricklepaw

Robinwing-tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes

Copperlight-dark ginger she-cat with black paws

Seafoam-bluish gray she-cat with light blue eyes

Pearlshine-very light gray tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

**Apprentices-**Streampaw-gray and white tom with bright green eyes

Mallowpaw-light brown tabby she-cat with a pink nose

Beetlepaw-brown and white tabby tom

Pricklepaw-gray and white she-cat with green eyes

Grasspaw-light brown tom with darker tabby stripes

Petalpaw-gray and white she-cat with light brown eyes

**Queens-**Otterheart-dark brown tabby she-cat, mother of Mintfur's tom, Sagekit (dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes) and Echokit (light gray tabby she-cat)

**Elders-**Blackclaw-smoky black tom with green eyes

Voletooth-small brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Beechfur-light brown tom

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes

**Prologue up next**


	2. Prologue: Birth

**Alright, prologue time! It's not a StarClan prophecy thing, it's just leading up to the birth of our main characters ^^**

**Prologue**

The sun peaked over the edge of the trees, sending long shadows down the stretch of moorland that made up WindClan territory. A gray she-cat had her head lowered, bowing her head with respect.

A brown tabby tom was lying limp in the middle of the clearing, family and friends gathered around him. One lone tear slid down the gray she-cat's cheek, and she jumped up onto the Tallrock.

"I say these words before the body of Owlwhisker, so he can hear and approve of my choice. Sunbeam shall be the next deputy of WindClan," the gray she-cat announced, her voice raspy.

Her glossy fur shining in the early morning light, Sunbeam's green eyes sparkled with amazement.

"But she hasn't mentored an apprentice yet!" spat a pale gray she-cat, her hackles rising in defense, she obviously thought that she would fill the position.

"Yeah, Ashstar, she hasn't mentored a cat yet!" hissed another cat.

Ashstar blinked, and shook her head; "Owlwhisker died bravely this morning, sacrificing himself on the dawn patrol for his apprentice, Thistlepaw. Because Thistlepaw is without a mentor, Sunbeam will finish his training."

The rampant died down, and the pale gray she-cat shot Sunbeam a harsh look, before returning to the warrior's den. Sunbeam got up to her paws, and made her way over to Ashstar quickly.

"Why did you pick me?" Sunbeam asked in a hushed voice.

"Because you were the right cat for the position," Ashstar explained, but not doing a great job at doing so.

Sunbeam blinked at Ashstar, and then growled quietly, "I haven't even mentored an apprentice yet, Gorsetail is a better choice than me!"

Ashstar didn't have anything else to say, she just got up to her paws, and retreated back to her den, leaving Sunbeam to stand their alone, contemplating her new position.

"Congrats, deputy," Gorsetail snarled from behind her, her blue eyes filled with anger and defeat.

Sunbeam dipped her head, and mewed, "Take out a hunting patrol, with Smokestorm and Leaffrost." Gorsetail turned around quickly, and moved towards the warrior's sleeping area.

Letting off a gentle sigh, Sunbeam perked her ears. She remembered hearing that Cindershadow had given birth to Hawkflight's kits the evening before. "Hawkflight," she murmured his name quietly.

Ever since she had met him, Sunbeam had been deeply in love with the brown tabby cat. Yet when Cindershadow joined WindClan, everything changed. He flocked back to her, leaving her to have no chance.

Yet Sunbeam bore no animosity towards Cindershadow, for lack of better words, Sunbeam actually was quite fond of Cindershadow, and happy that she successfully gave birth to the only link to Hawkflight left.

The nursery was now built in a pile of rocks that had fallen during the flood. Sunbeam pushed through the curtain of lichen that formed the den entrance, and let off an instant purr when she saw four kits nestled into the curve of Cindershadow's belly.

"Sunbeam," Cindershadow purred, and tucked a tortoiseshell tom in closer to her with her hind leg.

"They're pretty aren't they?" Blackkit squeaked to the deputy, and Cloverkit, Blackkit's sister, nodded as well.

Sunbeam mewed, "They're gorgeous, Cindershadow. What are their names?"

"Fallingkit, Crescentkit, Crestkit, and Nightkit."

**So...what did you think? Please tell me in a review, and I'll put up Chapter One either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on how I feel~!**


	3. Chapter One: Kits

**Okay, here we are with chapter one! Sorry I'm a bit late with updating, but I've been really busy lately. So in the poll, I took the two kits that got the lowest score, and made them the main characters ^^ This chapter is under Fallingkit's point of view, and Crescentkit will be the other main character. Thank-you to those that have reviewed, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

A gray paw squished down onto the side of Fallingkit's face, and his green eyes shot open immediately. "Crescentkit!" Fallingkit hissed, his bushy red tail bristling. This was the third time in the past quarter moon that he had been woken up by his brother's paw.

"What?" Crescentkit asked, his blue eyes twinkling innocently.

"You lump!" Fallingkit squeaked, and the tackled his brother, the two rolling over one another until Crescentkit ended up on top. "Great StarClan…" Fallingkit muttered under his breath in defeat.

"Ha!" Crescentkit yowled triumphantly, waking up the rest of the den. Blackkit and Cloverkit both raised their heads, Blackkit shooting them an angry glare. Cloverkit simply yawned and curled up once more.

Their two other siblings, Nightkit and Crestkit exchanged looks, and began plotting amongst themselves. The two queens didn't seem to wake, though.

Sunlight began pouring into the den, but it was a bittersweet kind of thing. The clans were in the midst of a harsh leafbare, so the moment any cat stepped out of their den; a rush of cold air would bombard them.

The warriors and apprentices had to build roofs over their heads, no longer able to sleep out in the open. Fallingkit turned around to his mother, who was sleeping. He mewed, as quietly as possible, "I'm going to go outside."

"Me too," Crescentkit echoed, and the two kits slipped out of the den silently, and broke out in shivers when they stepped out.

A layer of snow coated the ground, and when a kit moved more than a mouselength passed the nursery, they would sink at least neck deep in snow. Fallingkit bounded alongside the nursery, avoiding the snow for the most part.

He climbed up the hill to the top ridge of camp, where he could watch the whole place buzz with the early morning activity. "What are you doing up here?" came the curious voice of Sunbeam.

Fallingkit, letting of a squeal of surprise, turned around to face her. "I-I-I was t-trying to avoid the snow," he mewed honestly, hiding his eyes from her.

"I see," Sunbeam meowed, and raised an eyebrow. She picked him up by the scruff, and Fallingkit immediately went limp in her jaws. Back inside the nursery, she plopped him down by his mother.

A snow coated Crescentkit joined him shortly after. Cindershadow covered them in licks, and hissed, "Why did you leave without telling me?" Her tongue rasped over Fallingkit's pelt, so Crescentkit answered.

"We left because we wanted to have a little bit of fun…" Crescentkit mewed lamely, and then assumed the position of shame, his head on his paws. Fallingkit joined him shortly after.

"Can't we ever do anything without her breathing down our necks?" Fallingkit moped, referring to Sunbeam, not his mother.

"No," Crescentkit growled back, "She's not even our mother, and she always feels the need to watch out for us. Why not govern Blackkit and Cloverkit, why does she have to watch over us?"

Fallingkit's only response was a snort, and the two of them conspired together for the rest of the dawn hours.

At sunhigh, the leader, Ashstar, called a meeting. Fallingkit and his siblings weren't allowed to leave the nursery to see it, but all of them crowded around the entrance to watch.

Blackkit and Cloverkit were sitting just before the Tallrock, their pelts glowing in the Leafbare sun. Ashstar deemed them Blackpaw and Cloverpaw, and assigned them to Gorsetail and Smokestorm, respectively.

When Crestkit declared that she wasn't feeling very well, Fallingkit and Crescentkit volunteered themselves to take her to the medicine cat's den.

Crestkit was sniffling, and letting off an occasional cough. Fallingkit didn't really pay any attention to his sister; he just wanted to be in the medicine cat's den again. He pushed through the outer layer of gravel and dirt, and was greeted by the tang of herbs and cobwebs.

His aunt, Emberstorm, was the medicine cat apprentice. After she had been badly crippled during a fox attack, she hadn't been able to resume her warrior training, so she had become the next medicine cat.

Whenever they went to the medicine cat's den, Emberstorm would always give them honey or hardened honey with mint in it. Emberstorm swiveled around to look at them, and her gaze softened.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, her soft voice echoing around the small den.

"Crestkit is sick," Crescentkit told Emberstorm, and pushed his sister forward. Her blue eyes were dulled over, and a trail of snot was leaking down from her nose.

"The poor scrap!" Emberstorm sympathized, and got out a cobweb, and a funny leafy herb. She wiped the cobweb over Crestkit's nose, and then shredded the leafy herb, and nudged it towards her. "Eat up."

Crestkit eyed the herb suspiciously, and pawed it for a moment before she gave into the temptation, and lapped it up. Her face twisted, and she gagged, but didn't actually throw up, "That was gross," she muttered.

"I know," Emberstorm agreed. She turned to Fallingkit and Crescentkit, "She has kitten cough. She'll be better in a day or two, so I'd be the most comfortable keeping her here for now."

She pulled two hardened honey drops out from her store, and gave one to each of them, except Crestkit. Fallingkit took his in his mouth, and sucked on it, while Crescentkit gnawed on it.

"Thank-you!" Fallingkit called to Emberstorm as he bounded out of the den, his tail high in the air. He had forgotten, though, that a few mouse lengths of snow resided just outside of the den.

He sunk down into it, only his eyes and ears visible. "Ha!" Crescentkit squealed from behind him, breaking out in pure laughter. Fallingkit flattened his ear, and then lobbed a large ball of snow at Crescentkit.

It hit spot on, and when the snow fell down from Crescentkit's pelt, it was easy to tell that he was bristling. "Oh no!" Fallingkit squeaked, and raced through the snow, without ease.

Crescentkit was bolting after him, and Fallingkit wasn't moving fast enough. His brother tackled him, a few flecks from the honey mint landing on Fallingkit's face. Fallingkit wriggled under his brother's superior weight, and broke free. "Take that!" Fallingkit shot at him.

Crescentkit rolled his eyes, and darted forward, back into the nursery. Shaking his pelt clear of the scraps of snow, Fallingkit retreated there as well. Before entering it, though, he padded over to the fresh kill pile.

Swallowing down the rest of his honey mint, he grabbed a rabbit, nearly the size of him, and dragged it in the direction of the nursery. Sunbeam looked up from sharing tongues with Emberfoot, but decided not to chase after him.

Just before Fallingkit entered the nursery, he swerved out of the way, and ducked behind it. A large patch of gorse and thorns was located there, and Fallingkit called to the other side, "Ready?"

"Spot on," came the voice of Crescentkit, and Fallingkit smirked. He threw the rabbit over the wall of protection, and heard the "Oof!" that made him sure that Crescentkit had caught the rabbit.

There was a rock just in front of the wall of gorse that was tangled in vines. Fallingkit shoved it aside, and slipped down into the tunnel it revealed. He hooked his claws on the vine, and pulled the rock back over the entrance.

He padded through the winding tunnel, and emerged just behind the wall of gorse and thorns. Crescentkit was there was well, huddled underneath the rocky overhang. The two of them had found a rabbit hole once when exploring outside of camp.

Sunbeam had been hot on their trail, so they slipped into the hole. It led to a secluded area, big enough for five full-grown warriors, just next to the nursery. They had filled in the first tunnel, and built two others.

One was in the nursery itself, at the very far corner, where shadows lapped over the edges. The second led was by a convenient wall of gorse and thorns that hid their secret area so well.

Fallingkit joined Crescentkit under the overhang. Their play area was very convenient for them. It had a large open area, an overhang to shelter under, and even a small pool where rainwater gathered.

The pool, though, was frozen over from the frigid weather. Due to the cold Leafbare, the two kits had worked on adding a curtain of lichen to the overhang, and closing it in a bit more, so it wasn't as cold.

That plan hadn't worked as well as they wanted it to work, but it was coming along, it just needed more time.

And time was exactly what they had. Their litter was five moons old, so they had one moon to perfect the den, and dig a tunnel through the camp to the apprentice's den so they could continue to use it.

The perfecting of the den would be the easy part. The tunneling, on the other paw, would be quite difficult. Fallingkit sunk his teeth into the warm rabbit, and he took a bite.

Crescentkit took one from the other side of the rabbit. It tasted delicious, even though it was stringy and tough. "I can't wait to see what a Greenleaf rabbit tastes like," Fallingkit commented.

Their mother, Cindershadow, had told them that the rabbits caught in Greenleaf were more plump, and tasted so much better than the scrawny rabbits the clan was able to catch in Leafbare.

Crescentkit nodded his head in agreement. They finished the rabbit in silence, and then got to work. They had a store of stringy lichen in the corner of the overhang, as well as honey that they had collected from Emberstorm.

Fallingkit climbed up on top of the overhang, and dappled honey onto the roof. As quickly as possible, Crescentkit set the lichen on it, and watched in awe as the honey cracked and hardened.

This process continued on for a while, until the sun was beginning to set. They had only covered a mouselength more space on the roof. Both of them were shivering, and they slipped through the tunnel that led back into the nursery.

Their mother was washing Nightkit when they came out from the shadows, "Did you have a good sleep?" she asked between licks.

It was common knowledge in the nursery that the two brothers liked to sleep by themselves in the corner of the den, during the day. At night, though, they slept with their mother.

Yet, while they were supposedly asleep in the shadows, they were really working in their small play space. Cindershadow finished bathing Nightkit, and she squeaked, "Finally," before settling down a cat's tail away from her mother.

Cindershadow had a slightly sad look on her face; it was obvious that she was concerned about Crestkit. "Crestkit will be fine," Crescentkit reassured Cindershadow, and curled up next to her.

"She's a fighter," Fallingkit agreed, and snuggled up to his mother's belly, falling asleep almost instantly.

**Okay, so I hope you liked it! I've been really busy lately, so I might not be able to update for 3+ days, so I apologize if its that late :( Please drop a review by, and I'll update ASAP!**


End file.
